


talking to angels, watching the stars

by MercuryWilliamson (MementoMoriPontifexMortis)



Series: Keep Your Eyes Open [3]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Teenagers, Canon-Typical Violence, Explicit Language, F/M, Hydra (Marvel), Red Room, SHIELD, Slow Romance, What Happened in Budapest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-22
Updated: 2015-02-13
Packaged: 2018-01-20 08:43:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,176
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1504079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MementoMoriPontifexMortis/pseuds/MercuryWilliamson
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They head to Budapest for two reasons; 1) a mission popped up, 2) to see if they can fix what's wrong with their relationship.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TinyTeddy878](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TinyTeddy878/gifts).



Chapter One: I see fire

_The out skirts of Budapest, Hungary, 20:00, July 14 20XX_

She doesn't know how to say sorry to him for him getting brainwashed and almost killed. She's tried to figure out the words, most of them sounding like a twelve years old's thoughts, so she doesn't say them, she's 19 for fuck's sake, not a 12 year old who can't figure out what to say to her crush. She's tried to explain that the reason's he's back is because she worked her ass off to bring him back from that world. “I'll always bring you back.” She said, “We're together 'til the end.” She added and from his spot on the couch in her hidden home, he nodded.

That was three months ago, he's turned 18, she kissed him and then the relationship got weird. Natasha doesn't know what she did wrong, it was probably the kiss she gave him, but she wanted to tell him that she was happy he was older, and that she loved him without saying all the words, which all the books say a kiss should do, unless he doesn't think of her like that, which wouldn't be weird because they've been together for years and he could think she's like a sister, but she hopes not. She hadn't realised it, it took being kidnapped by her old group, the Red Room, to admit that she loved him. She loved him more than she thought she did. Still though she hadn't thought that he would ask if they could go to Budapest to find his brother.

“That's where he was last seen!” Clint had said, whining lightly, despite his age. “I need to find him!”

Natasha had agreed and that led them into this clusterfuck of a mission. She was bleeding profoundly from her side, Clint had a cut on his head and a broken wrist that would never get better if she didn't get him to stop shooting arrows. Also, they were separated. Clint on one side, hidden by rock and her on another, hidden by a car. They weren't positive what they were fighting, but it was something big, something huge and something that was going to change their lives.

Just like their fight against, S.H.I.E.L.D. changed their lives.

“We're going down in history!” Clint had said when the fight first began, his laughter ringing in her ears, and she had laughed with him because it was the first time it wasn't a hollow laugh coming out of his mouth. Now though, there was no laughter from him, just swear words. No wonder she had such a potty mouth when she was upset, she had spent a majority of her vulnerable years listening to her best friend swear like a sailor.

“Clint!” She calls to him, “Clint what's your damage?”

“We're gonna die?” He answers with another swear, before, “I'm sorry, Tasha, I wanted you to meet Barney, he would've loved you if he was in his right mind but instead...” He trails off. “We're meeting our end today, Tasha, and I want you to know that I've liked you a lot and if we had made it out through this, I would've asked you to be my girlfriend, if you wanted to be.”

Laughing hollowly, she speaks, “Clint, I love you.”

“Love you too Natasha Barton.” He jokes with her last name, as if they were married which annoys her, not because its a bad joke, but because he would take her last name along with his own, that way they'd be doubly feared.

“No, it's Clint and Natasha Romanoff-Barton.” She corrects him and then she stands up and runs her way to him, get hit by shrapnel and a bullet. It tears through her leg, and she falls into a roll next to him. “I want to die along side you, not behind a car.” She says, as he looks at her.

_Four hours earlier, July 14 20XX, 14:00_

“Barney!” Clint yelled, hugging his brother as he finally met up with the older man. It had been too long, but to know that his information wasn't wrong brought a warmness to Clint's stomach that he hadn't felt in months.

“Clint, how are you?” Barney asked as he hugged his brother, and smiled. Too long had it been since his brother had been in his arms, in his reached and he wouldn't let the young man leave again. “It's been years!”

“Yeah, I've been good, I want you to meet someone.” He said as he motioned for Natasha to come forth, “This is Natasha, she's my partner in crime, we've been together all this time.”

“You're the person keeping my baby brother from death?” Barney smiled at her before bringing her into a hug too, “Thanks for that.” He said as she hugged back.

“It's been no problem.” She answered with a small smile. No wonder Clint loved his brother, the man was pretty welcoming to even her, a stranger. “It's nice to meet you.”

“Yeah, the same.” He told her before asking if they wanted to go out to eat, his employer gave him lots of money for his services so he'd take them to a pretty high end place so they'd catch up.

“Sure, Barney. Me and Natasha are absolutely starved.” Clint smirked.

_Two hours later, 18:00_

“So my baby brother got to be in a partnership with the beautiful and amazing Black Widow?” Barney asked and Clint nodded while Natasha flushed. She was honestly surprised how often she was being complimented, it had never happened before besides with Clint. “Oh wow, Clint, buddy, just wow.”

“It's been great working with the great Hawkeye.” Natasha relented as she squeezed Clint's hand. He's honestly been her favourite partner – only partner – that she's ever had. He's the best sharpshooter she's ever met and the kindest person. She can honestly see where he got it from – Barney being the nicest person besides Clint.

“Still using your stage name?” Barney teased and Clint flushed himself, before taking a bite of the mashed potatoes – or what looked like mashed potatoes. “How cute.”

“Yeah but it gets shit done.” Clint answered with a smirk, it was fun being back with his brother. “What about you? What are you doing in Budapest?”

“I got a gig, some people I started working with.” Barney drawled before continuing, “Some old group coming out of the wood work, and they've got spots for new people if you two want to join.”

Clint looked towards Natasha, and frowned with her. She shook her head but said, “We'll think about it, we've been going solo for so long maybe we need to get with a larger group.” It was said with such a false sugary smile and tone that Clint screwed up his face. He didn't like lying to his brother, but joining a group wasn't that good.

“Yeah, anyway, we've gotta get going.” Clint said, scootched his chair backwards, “The hotel we're staying at is pretty far from here and we don't know the streets that well.”

Barney smiled and got up, “Okay.” He hugged Clint good bye before leaning forward and hugging Natasha and giving her a kiss on the cheek. “Thanks for protecting him. We'll meet up tomorrow ok?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> mild chapter edits - memento

Chapter Two: Still Think I'm the best?

_Two days earlier, 1400 July 12 20XX_   
_Undisclosed Location_

“Please, Natasha.” Clint begged, and Natasha nodded. “Fine, we can go to Budapest!” She's not really upset, actually she really wants to meet Clint's brother but she's got the feeling in her stomach that isn't going away but she doesn't say anything as they pack.

“But if this becomes a dud, I'm choosing the next mission.” She jested and Clint nodded. Their roles had become changed since they were kidnapped by the Red Room, Clint had become serious while she tried to joke and jest about. She talks the most on missions, hoping to get a rise out of Clint but instead he's a serious dangerous person, just like she was until he came along. Natasha paused as she placed her gun in her holster as a thought came to her: on missions, Clint was different. He didn't use the same moves anymore, instead, there were hints of the Room's training. The way he flitted through the air scared her.

She wished she could have Clint back, her Clint, not this false Clint.

“Ready?” Clint asked with enthusiasm she hadn't seen in months. Natasha nodded and grabbed her bag, letting the wheels do all the work. Her hand tightened on the handle as Clint gripped the doorknob, this had been happening since they escaped and she began to re-reprogram him. He would fight with the memories that weren't real, and she would stay away from him. His programing made him a danger to her in these moments and though she weren't scared of him, she was scared of making him feel bad about himself. His grip loosened and before she could ask if he was alright, he was already making his way to the car. He placed his bag in the backseat and went to the passenger seat.

He liked the passenger seat.

_0650,_   
_Undisclosed location in Budapest, Hungary_

“Barney's not right.” Clint said, and Natasha nodded, she felt wrong saying so but she wasn't exactly very comfortable being hugged that many times by a man who she had just meet. Of coursethat was just the first problem she had with Barney. “He's acting different.”

“How worried should we be, Clint?” She questioned and Clint looked at her before looking back out the window.

“Worried.”

_0200, July 17th_   
_Undisclosed Location_

“And what now?” Phil asks Fury, “I mean, everything's taken care of, what do we do know?”

Fury cocks an eyebrow, “We start working on what we were working on before Bonnie and Clyde took up our entire life.” He says and Maria scoffs.

“You mean, you took over our entire lives to track down a bunch of teenagers.” She's not angry, just annoyed, she's been tracking those two for years and for it to end like this, well it bugs her.

“The mission is over, Hill, get back to your life.” Fury mutters before turning on a heel and walking out of the room. He was hoping for a better end to the story. Something that was a little more powerful then the dud that had happenedbut he was just satisfied that it was over with. Time to get back on the big leagues, Hydra, Red Room and A.I.M.

“Sir.” Fury turns to look down at Agent Jasper Sitwell, the agent Coulson swears is a good agent but has yet to prove himself.

“Yes, Sitwell.”

The young agent stutters out, “There's some complications down in the Tech room and they were wondering if you could help them.”

_July 14 20XX, 0630_   
_Undisclosed Hydra Location_

“My brother is partners with the Black Widow.” Barney says, “I'm pretty sure having them on our side would be best.” His boss doesn't agree though, just thinks they should get rid of them. Barney doesn't want to get rid of his brotherbut he doesn't want to disagree with his boss, else, he'll be gotten rid off.

“Your brother's like 12.” His boss says and Barney laughs while shaking his head. It's not a happy laugh, but a hollow desperate one.

“Nah, see Clint's 18, and he's Hawkeye, an assassin, he's been trained to kill.”

“Look Barton, it's not happening.” His boss holds up a hand, “I'm not letting two assassins come into the group to fuck things up.”

“Come on, ya ain't thinkin' right!” Barney agrues before flinching at the look his boss has. “I just mean, Clint and Natasha can be good, if the Red Room wanted them bad enough to kidnap and brainwash 'em then why aren't they important enough here?”

“Because, we are trying to bring peace into the world, not have kid assassins drench the world in red.” His boss leaves with the parting words of, “And watch it, Barton, you're toeing the line and I will not have insubordination.”

Barney nods, not that he wants tobut he does anyway. “Understood.” Making his way back to his lodgings, he thinks about what will be done with Clint and Natasha, now that they know about him, where he is and everything, they're going to have to be taken care of. Can't have any loose ends. Flipping the phone in the room he speaks, “I need a large clean up crew, with some of the most powerful items to take out Clinton, 'Hawkeye' Barton and Natasha 'Black Widow' Romanoff. They're gonna be on the outskirts of Budapest.”

“Yeah, get rid of them, completely.”

_0758 July 14 20XX_   
_Undisclosed Location, outskirts of Budapest, Hungary_

“Natasha, I have a bad feeling about this.” Clint says and Natasha is about to nod – can she do nothing else?! She thinks to herself – when there's a clang and a bang and a fwerp. Comic terms will probably effec her life more than she wants. She tucks and rolls to hide behind a broken down car that has more shit inside of it, that Natasha feels better about the sight of her own car. “I kinda doubt Barney's comin' to meet us.” Clint calls from his spot behind a broken down building.

Who decided this terrain for a fight? She questions and then yells, “Clint, you know how you said to be worried? Yeah, I'm telling you, you were right. I owe you twenty even though I agreed with you.” She's trying to lighten the moodbut it falls flat. It's always going to fall flat, she's not a jester like Clint is.

Clint laughs though, “More like 40!” and a smile graces Natasha lips, and she nods her agreement. It's been a long timebut the joke is well accepted. “Hey, Natasha, when this is over, wanna go for ice cream?”

“Yes!” Natasha agrees as she brings out her guns, she doesn't know what this is but she and Clint's been through worse. Even if she can't think of anything at the moment. She smiles at Clint, her hands going up to her ears to check her comm before the firefight begins.

_1830, July 14th_   
_Outskirts of Budapest_

The last gun goes off and silence falls.


	3. Chapter 3

The first time she opens her eyes, there is nothing but shining lights and people in lab coats. It reminds her of the Red Room and so she struggles with all she can against the hold of them. It doesn't work, not exactly and soon she is passing out from pain while the doctors work on repairing the damage she has done to her body.

 

~X~

 

The first time he wakes up, Clint tries to find Natasha and manages to get to a room filled to the brim with technology that looks so much cooler than any that he's seen in years. He runs his fingers over it, fighting back the pain that comes from standing up when he notices that he's not alone in the room. Grabbing the first weapon – or thing that he can use as a weapon – Clint points it towards the scientist, fearing that he's back in the Red Room.

 

“Where is she!” He asks, and they stare at him surprised before someone comes up behind him, slipping a needle between his skin, knocking him out with a groan of, “I'll kill you if you hurt her.”

 

~X~

 

She wakes with a start, screaming for Clint. The last thing she remembers was Clint falling to the ground, his hand to his stomach which received a wound that smelt of burning flesh and new blood. They must have gotten her as well. Her eyes close for just a second before she begins to look around, terrified that the Red Room picked them up or maybe whoever was working with –

 

“Nat?” She looks left and sees a sight that makes her sigh in happiness. Clint.

 

“Are you okay?” She asks and he shrugs.

 

“Where are we?” He asks and Natasha knows. She can tell as she looks around. It is not _sterile_ enough to be The Red Room.

 

Natasha slumps back into the bed, Budapest was a disaster. Clint was injured, again, and they were captured by SHIELD. It was better than being captured by the Red Room but it was still scary. Part of her is annoyed, Clint's brother had betrayed them and she went this whole way for Clint only to get injured while another part of her was overjoyed – he said that he loved her.

 

"Nat," Clint says, "what are you smiling about?"

 

She smirks at him, "Nothing Clinton, just nothing." She says and he laughs that laugh that's been hidden by a dark mood.

 

"I missed you," He says as if they've been separated for a long time, and maybe they have. It's been so long since they were so close; the Red Room took that.

 

"I missed you too." She says and then she gets up from the hospital type bed and climbs into Clint's. She lets him wrap her into a hug and then she starts to doze, letting the rest that she hadn't been getting since the Red Room captured them come for her.

 

They lay next to each other, barely touching for a while before the door slides open and in walks the man from the Red Room who told Natasha to go, to leave. She sits up, grabbing at Clint, who just stares at him with the most deadest eyes. He doesn't say anything, just walks closer, grabs a chair and places it in front of the hospital bed. Two other people walk in, flanking him and staying to stand right behind him, like guards they've seen and fought before on their missions. No one speaks until the man, the one who Natasha cannot forget, speaks.

 

“You two have caused a lot of trouble for me and mine.” He begins, “and as the Director of this establishment that you've been trying to bring down, that means that I've had to do a ton of paperwork and I don't like that.”

 

“We don't like being chased.” Natasha argues and he laughs! Laughs.

 

“No, I don't expect you to.” He rubs his face, “My name is Director Fury, and I'd like to offer you a job.”

 

And that's how it ends. The reign of The Black Widow and Hawkeye ends in a fiery firefight on the outskirts of Budepest, where their ledgers drip itself in a pool of blood bigger than any sea.

 

But that's also the beginning. The reign of Agents Natasha Romanoff and Clint Barton has come to begin in the same way The Black Widow and Hawkeye ended; in a fiery firefight on the outskirts of Budepest where both almost didn't make it, where they had made new ledgers, ones that were cleaner than any new piece of paper that one could use.

 

~The End~

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hate this story. I hate this ending. I hate myself. I had suck an epic story planned out but as I was writing it, so much happened and I realised that if I put too much information in here, I'd be spoiling the rest of the stories but if I didn't put enough in here, there'd be no reason to write it. Plus, personal life ended up screwing me over and so this is the ending we get. Until next time. 
> 
> Next Story:   
> Title: someone's out there  
> Summary: Natasha and Clint must learn to adjust to life in SHIELD after being picked up at the end of Budapest. They have new relationships and new people involved in their ring of accomplices and it's all too confusing. Though when a training mission goes wrong and they're left without any connection to SHIELD they've got to learn to work through what went down in Budapest.


End file.
